Mount Whitney (LCC 20) - Naval Cruise Book

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(Standing) BMl Ronnie Flinn.SN James Anno, SN Warren Briggs, SN Leonard Sempliowsl i, (kneeling) SA John Stewart, BM2 Joseph Dunbar. www I ■ PnaUhf . ' i BM3 John Corp, BM3 John Pate, BMl Larry St.

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2nd Division (Standing) SN Tim Morris, SN Numrrinao Judal, SN W illiam HodRCS, (kneeling) SN llomingo Solis, SN Vincent Aichlev, SN Michael L.iiiU. musl go down to the seas again, lo the lonely sea and the sJty, And all I ask is a tail ship and a star to steer her by, John Mase ield (Standing) SN Tonv Miles, SN Billv Mver. HMl Reuben C:taig, (kneeling) SN Billy I.eding, SN Donald Orinkwatcr.

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Engineering Department Prrhaps no otlur itiparimini aho.ird MOl ' NT WHITNliV plays a more varied and compUx role in the daily evolu- tions of Navy life ihan ihe hnj-ineering Pepartment. Wherever one goes ihroughoul the ship, he i s never more than a lew feet away from some equipment for which the Kngineers are responsible. The .AMHMR Divisions, with head- quarters located on the tth deck in Damage ( ontrol Central, participate in every way possible to help NKJl ' .N ' T ttlllTNlV fulfill her mission. I ' he men of A-Division, Machinist Mates, who are better known as A Gang , provide many of the Motel Set%Kes which make life aboard ship more comfortable than Navy life used to be; for A-Gang is responsible for heat- ing the ship in the winter and keeping it cool in the summer. Furthermore, all food kept aboard ship requiring refrig- eration is kept fresh thanks to A-Division ' s reefers. When the ship needs to operate liberty boats, it is the men of A-Ciang who keep the engines running. Other diverse fields in which the division is involved include anchoring and navigation (anchor windlass and steering gear), .MHDN ' ACS and cargo handling (elevator and crane), and, perhaps most important, lighting and power (emergency diesel generators.) A-Division is also responsible for the secondary fuel system aboard which, involving JP- ' i fuel, is critical for the smooth and safe running of helicopter operations. The Machinist .Mates (MM) of M-Division provide three of the most vital services necessary to the operation of AN ' ship. These are mobility, electricity, and water. Hy keeping a constant vigil over the main engine, reduction gears, and the shaft, M-Division personnel ensure that .MOl NT WHITNKV gets to her destination on time. During normal operations, the three ship ' s service generators maintained by the M.M ' s provide all the electrical power re- quired to run everything from ship ' s lighting to radars, radio transmitters to ovens. Furthermore, the two evaporators located in the Fngineroom provide 100,000 gallons of water a da) ' for drinking, cooking, showers, and the laundry. Moving over to the Fircroom, one will find the Boiler Technicians (HT) of H-Division generating enough steam in MOl .N ' T WHITNFiY ' s two ( 00 P.Sl boilers to provide enough power to supply a city of S. ()()() people. This power is used to propel the ship through the water at speeds up to 2 knots. Often times working in temperatures which on cool days hover near the 100 degree mark, the BT ' s arc also in charge of the 800, OOO plus gallons of distillate fuel necessary to fire the boilers. This means refuclings which take hours to accomplish, often times during liberty hours. There are two groups which make up F-Division: the Interior C ommunications Men (K ) and the Flectricians (FM.) Maintaining all electrical and interior communication equipment aboard ship, the F.M ' s and K; Men are continually kept busy ensuring that the crew is kept out of the dark and in touch with one another. I he MOl .N ' T ttHIT.N ' liY ' s dial telephone system is more advanced than many of the systems in the -fleet todav. In addition, the power required by .MOl ' N ' l WHI ' r.NF ' is efficiently distributed by the twelve electrical load centers strategically located throughout the ship. Lastly, all alarm systems designed to warn of fire, or flooding are maintained by F-Division Personnel. The R of AMUlvR stands for the Repair Division. The Hull Technicians, more commonly known as HT ' s or Shipfitters, are responsible for the maintenance of the ship ' s hull and piping systems. To be prepared is the R- Divisions slogan. For should the ship be in a collision, experience a helo crash, have a fire, or suffer flooding, the necessary damage control equipment and On Scene Leaders are proviiled by this division. Thcv have also helped to train the entire crew in the area of Damage C ontrol PQS. And certainl) ' no less useful is the work R-Division men do concerning minor alterations to the ship ' s physical layout. .MOL ' .NT WHIT.NIiV s Fngineers, or Snipes as they are affectionately called, play major roles in almost every aspect of life aboard ship.